E-Cigarettes a Gateway to Smoking? Not Likely, Suggests New UK Study

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, reacted to the release of new data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics regarding adult smoking habits and e-cigarette usage.

Among the key findings of the report:

* Past 30 day use of e-cigarettes is almost solely confined to smokers and ex-smokers.

* E-cigarettes are being used by 12% of smokers and 5% of ex-smokers.

* E-cigarette use is negligible amongst those who have never smoked cigarettes (0.14%).

* Over half of the e-cigarette users say their main reason for using the product is to stop smoking.

* Smoking has continued to decline in the country despite (more likely because of) the rise of popularity of e-cigarettes.

This report comes on the heels of another study that found use of e-cigarettes by never smokers and young people who have never smoked is rare.

BBC coverage of the data from the Office of National Statistics can be found here.

 

Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association, issued the following statement:

“The release of this data should be hailed by those working in public health.  E-cigarettes are helping smokers quit and not leading nonsmokers to regularly use nicotine. Simply put, there is no evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes are acting as a gateway to real cigarettes.

“In the UK, many public health officials have been rational and level headed in their approach to e-cigarettes.  The UK’s largest anti-smoking charity, Action on Smoking & Health (ASH), has embraced e-cigarettes and warned against the unintended consequences of banning their usage where smoking is banned.  Some National Health Services stop smoking clinics even actively recommend e-cigarettes to smokers looking to kick the habit.  Thanks in part to this mature response, British smokers have felt comfortable switching to vaping, leading both e-cigarette usage and quit rates to consistently rise since 2013.

“Meanwhile, anti-smoking groups in the U.S. continue to defy their mission statement by attempting to scare smokers into not trying e-cigarettes. This new data should inspire these organizations to reconsider their policies towards e-cigarettes. At the least, it is time for these activists to retire their talking point that e-cigarettes may act as a gateway to cigarette smoking.”